Suits You Sir!

paddylonglegs

Hey,

May be starting a job where I have to wear suits. Just wondering what the fashion is for mens suits right now, thought there was just the one shape but apparently not! Three buttons or two?Different jacket shapes?

Hope you can provide some guidance!

paddylonglegs

any takers?

Deflector

There are on average two threads a week posted about suits. It gets tiresome answering the same question everytime! Just do a search.

That said, three-button is most out of fashion - two-button being effortlessly stylish - while waistcoasts on young men make them look like prats, unless you are so cool in every aspect of your dress that you can carry it off. Otherwise avoid. Avoid long jackets like the Plague too, unless you have a long upper body of course.

paddylonglegs

Thanks Deflectore, sorry about creating the similar thread:o

eviltimeban

Well no harm weighing in with advice again (at least before Old Goat gets here!) ;-)

Two button suit. For sure. I'd stay away from stipes or patterns - go with plain navy. Trousers should not be too long - make sure they sit on your shoe but do not gather, that'll look terrible.

The key is, once you've bought your suit, take it to a tailor / altering service. There's a place I go to just off Grafton Street (either Duke st or Sth Anne st - always get them mixed up) and I get them to tailor my suits. All you want them to do is take in the jacket so it is more fitted around your body (they'll know what to do) and then make sure the trousers fit around your waist and also the length is OK. So therefore you don't have to be too worried about getting a perfect fit in the shop.

And to that end, you can't go wrong with Marks & Spencer. You'll get a navy suit in there no problem. Just avoid the "washable" or "easy care" suits, you'll know them, they are really cheap & nasty, so get a decent quality one. The "Sartorial" range or Autograph range are pretty good. Again, don't worry too much about the fit, once it fits on your shoulders the tailor will do the rest. Advantage is being able to mix and match jacket / trouser sizes and also being able to get a second pair of trousers.

So I would say, to answer your question, the "fashion" at the moment for men's suits is classic tailoring - nicely fitted suit with classic colours and shapes.

Wear with a plain crisp white shirt with semi-cut / spread collars (good inexpensive ones in TM Lewin which is 2 doors down from the alterations place I use), coupled with a really nice dark coloured silk tie, and a pair of shiny black shoes (avoid the "Office" style - as in the shop) - go to a proper shoe shop and buy a decent pair of either English brogues or Italian Loafers. Fitzpatricks or Brown Thomas will have the upper end of the scale, but you can't fault spending money on decent shoes.

OldGoat

Sound advice there. Buy your first suit - get it fitted - start saving for your next suit. For business a minimum of 5 suits should form the basis of your wardrobe but you can build that up over the first year or two of working. Remember that the better the quality of the suit you by the longer it will last you so a well made (and fitted suit) will last a lifetime unless you do something silly like buy something 'fashionable' that will date extreamly quickly and be out of favour within a year or two. For business always ALWAYS go for classic cuts. Save your fashionable suits for the weekend.
Shoes, damn I love good shoes and I dispair of seeing a nice suit ruined by cheap or unsuitable (pun hehehe) shoes. Arnotts have a reasonable range of shoes. Get a pair of black Oxford style shoes by a reputable makes (Barkers, Loakes) for around €150-200. This style of shoe has stood the test of time and will always be around. Brown shoes, lovely as they are are more suitable for an academic or casual lifestyle and are not real a business shoe. There are some beautiful Italian loafers in there at the moment, not a great business shoe but you'll get away with it and they will give your suits at the weekend much more casual and relaxed look.
If you are really flush with cash you could get a pair of John Lobbs for about €1500 but I may mug you for them - and wimmins thinks that Louboutins are expensive, pah!:rolleyes:
A word on shoes. Like suits your shoes should really rest up between wearings. This gives the leather time to dry out. Buy a shoe tree. Thats a foot shaped wooden block that gently holds your shoe in shape as the moisture evaporates from the leather. Never ever dry your shoes near radiators and this will warp and ruin the shoe. Read up on the net about shoe care and your shoes will last you for years.

paddylonglegs

Guys this is great advice. I have given enough time into thinking about what style I want and it only comes up every so often for an occasion. Should the need come (and hopefully it will if the job comes through,keep all crossable things crossed please!), then I will definitely look at my suits as an investment.

Thanks again for all your input